


all i've ever known

by lesmiserablol



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Ambassador Sokka (Avatar), Dorks in Love, Firelord Zuko (Avatar), First Kiss, Friends to Lovers, Getting Together, M/M, Mutual Pining, Post-Canon, Post-War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-14 14:28:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,226
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29420124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lesmiserablol/pseuds/lesmiserablol
Summary: "Every year, on that day, we should have a holiday to celebrate love. On that day everyone in the Fire Nation became free to love who they love, and I can’t think of anything better worth celebrating," Sokka beams.Zuko tries to not visibly melt at this. “That sounds perfect. How would one celebrate this holiday?”“Oh, I have a few ideas,” Sokka says in a tone that tells Zuko he’s been thinking about this for longer than he’s letting on. “I think it would be best to show them to you, though. Are you doing anything tonight?”
Relationships: Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 70
Kudos: 320





	all i've ever known

**Author's Note:**

> Happy Valentine's day! 
> 
> title from Hadestown <3

“I did it!” Sokka announces from the hallway of the palace, moments before entering Zuko’s study. 

Zuko finishes the line he is writing and sets his brush aside, resigning himself to not getting any work done for at least the next fifteen minutes as his best friend walks in. 

“Did what?” he asks. “Singed your eyebrows off?”

“That was one time.” Sokka points his finger at Zuko indignantly, his lips just shy of a pout. “Why can’t everyone let that go? Never mind the incredible advancements I made in our knowledge of chemical compounds that year, _no_ , everyone laugh at Sokka for losing his eyebrows for the sake of science."

Zuko watches him sit down on the other side of his desk. He has a few braids woven into his usual wolftail, and he forces himself to not get distracted as he listens to Sokka continue talking.

“It was a hard loss. I thought it was pretty noble," he finishes. 

“Is that why you named them noble gases?” 

"I'm thrilled that you listen to me, really, but no, noble gases are an entirely different group of— nevermind." Sokka shakes his head. “You’re getting off topic.”

Zuko raises his eyebrow. “I wasn’t aware there was a topic, you just barged in here while I was working and started talking.”

“And don't you want to know why?” Sokka grins. Zuko looks away, his eyes landing on the unfinished letter in front of him instead.

“I’d rather know _when_ , as in when can I get back to what I was doing.”

Sokka smirks. “You love talking to me, you were probably dying of boredom, just waiting for me to waltz in. I could practically hear your heart calling out for me from across our palace.”

He’s right. “Don’t flatter yourself.”

“Anyway," Sokka says pointedly. "I came in here to announce that I have thought of the perfect idea for a brand new holiday!”

Zuko remembers well the conversation they had last year when Sokka was visiting with their other friends for the annual celebration of the end of the war. Sokka had lingered on the grounds where Appa was waiting to take everyone back home, dragging out his goodbye, as reluctant to leave Zuko as Zuko was to watch him go. 

“I hardly see you anymore, I miss you,” Sokka had said. “We need a new holiday, if only so I have an excuse to come by more frequently. Besides, we could all stand more moments to celebrate.”

Zuko had agreed, but soon that conversation was forgotten. Especially when Sokka took up the position of Ambassador not long after that and started spending half the year in the Fire Nation, no longer needing an excuse to see Zuko. He could just walk through the palace anytime to do that these days, something that quickly became a habit of his, as evidenced by their current conversation.

“And what exactly will we be celebrating?” Zuko asks. 

“Well, your royal flameo-ness, did you know that next month marks the three year anniversary of your reversal of the laws against same sex marriage?”

Zuko _does_ know this. It was only a few weeks after he turned eighteen that his advisors started discussing the “arrangements” of his future, as they liked to call them. Zuko wouldn’t hear a word about it until they worked with him to reverse the ban against same sex marriages that he had been fighting against since taking the crown. They agreed, and three years later they are still harping on him to get married.

Three years since it became official. Three years since he told Sokka the news in person and Sokka, thrilled for Zuko and for the other people who would benefit from this, had given him a tight hug and smiled at him in a way that made something in Zuko’s chest fall into place. Three years since his realization that made it both harder and also the most natural thing in the world to be in the same room as Sokka. 

Instead of saying all this, however, Zuko smiles. “I did know that. That was a good day, one of my best.”

“I thought so too, which is why I think it would be the perfect thing to celebrate! Every year, on that day, we could have a holiday to celebrate love. On that day everyone in the Fire Nation became free to love who they love, and I can’t think of anything better worth celebrating.”

Zuko tries to not visibly melt at this. “That sounds perfect. How would one celebrate this holiday?” 

“Oh, I have a few ideas,” Sokka says in a tone that tells Zuko he’s been thinking about this for longer than he’s letting on. “I think it would be best to show them to you, though. Are you doing anything tonight?”

Zuko’s only other plans for his free time now are to be with Sokka, so he shakes his head. 

“Perfect! I have a meeting to run in five minutes so I gotta go, but I will see you tonight for the demonstration of your lifetime.”

He’s out the door before Zuko can process what just happened, and the smile on his face lingers as he picks up his brush again. 

Zuko’s day always improves significantly whenever he gets an impromptu visit from his best friend, and he’s relieved to find that before he knows it he’s finished with his work for the day. He considers getting a head start on paperwork for tomorrow, but what little focus he had seems to evade him now that he knows Sokka might be waiting for him at this very moment.

And, well, Zuko does not want to keep him waiting. 

He walks quickly to the dining hall, his smile slipping when he finds it empty. He approaches the table and finds a single flower lying there. He stares at it, wondering why it looks familiar when he makes the connection. 

The sun is low in the sky when he steps out into the gardens. His eyes are immediately drawn to the turtleduck pond, but he continues walking to a more secluded corner that is fairly out of sight, which is why the Kyoshi Warriors are wary of it and why Sokka enjoys it so much. 

He’s not surprised to find Sokka there, but he is surprised by...everything else about the scene. A blanket is spread out to cover the grass, and surrounding it is a circle of several unlit candles. Between the candles are more flowers just like the one on the table. Zuko recognizes them as some of the plants that Sokka started when he began his position as Ambassador. He’s rather proud of them, judging by how often he spontaneously brings Zuko different kinds of flowers. Now they add to the scene, making it all appear rather...romantic, for lack of a better word. 

Sokka himself is kneeling in the center of the blanket, pulling out food from a basket and arranging it all carefully. 

“What’s this?” Zuko asks, drawing his attention. 

Sokka meets his eyes, his smile so wide Zuko almost glances over his shoulder to see what he’s looking at. But there's no denying that he is the reason for Sokka's smile. The thought leaves him feeling a little breathless.

“I see you got my note,” he says. 

“You call a flower a note?” Zuko asks. 

“It worked, didn’t it?” Sokka smirks. “That’s part of my idea of Lovers' Day, giving that special someone flowers. What do you think?”

Zuko blinks. Right. Sokka is doing this to show his ideas for the holiday. He tries not to feel disappointed, it would be stupid to think it was anything other than that. “Are you really calling it Lovers’ Day?”

“Eh, it's a placeholder for now. I’ll admit it’s not my most creative, but it’s a step above Sparky Sparky Boom Man.”

Zuko snorts. “It’s several steps above that. You won’t catch me complaining.”

“I’ll hold you to that. Maybe it’s a little cheesy, but pretty much everything about this holiday is.”

“I wouldn’t expect anything less than cheesy, coming from you,” Zuko smirks. 

Sokka scoffs. “Hey, you love that about me.”

Yes, he does. “Keep telling yourself that. So what’s the setup for?”

“An important part to any Lovers' Day celebration: the dinner. Couples can do this part any way they like, but I thought a candlelit picnic would be more romantic.”

 _Romantic_. Zuko nods as if everything Sokka is saying isn’t affecting him so deeply. “It’s nice.”

He finally sits down, back straight, feeling awkward. He tries to put more space between them, but the blanket has been folded to make it smaller and the food is taking up a lot of space, so despite his efforts his arm is still brushing against Sokka's.

“I also thought the view out here is better than inside, adds to the atmosphere and all that. Oh, speaking of which, do you mind?”

He gestures at the candles and Zuko lights them with a flick of his wrist. Their glow doesn’t add much with the setting sun still giving light, but it does feel more...intimate. He swallows. 

“I hope you’re hungry, I grabbed some of your favorites,” Sokka grins, offering him a plate. Zuko takes it with a small smile and together they start grabbing lychee nuts, smoked sea slug, rice, and other foods that would normally make Zuko’s mouth water. Now, though, it feels strangely dry, and he stares at his full plate for a few moments without feeling inclined to eat any of it. 

“So, what else is part of Lovers' Day?” he asks eventually, looking for an excuse to not take a bite. 

Sokka swallows the food in his mouth. “Whatever the lovers want. Whatever feels romantic.”

There it is again, that word. Romantic. He takes a lychee nut and eats it for something to do with his hands. It doesn't taste like anything.

“They could go for a walk, see a play, whatever they enjoy doing together," Sokka continues. "Or maybe they don’t have to do anything at all. Maybe...they can just talk, you know? About their day, about their relationship, about...why they love each other.”

The empty pit in Zuko’s stomach is suddenly fluttering with nerves. 

“I’ll go first,” Sokka says, and Zuko's head snaps up to look at him. Sokka isn’t looking at him, but when he feels Zuko’s gaze on him he finally looks up and offers a smile that almost looks...nervous?

Before Zuko can fully realize what is happening, Sokka is talking, not breaking eye contact for a moment.

“I love how passionate you are about the things and people that you care about, I love how selfless you are, I love the way that strands of your hair come loose from your headpiece at the end of the day, I love the small smile you have when you’re listening to someone speak, I love how you are secretly hilarious, but only around people you feel comfortable with…”

Sokka is still talking, but Zuko can hardly hear him over the ringing in his ears. Everything he’s saying...Sokka has mentioned these qualities before, but never like this. Never...never as something he _loves_ about Zuko. And hearing that word over and over from Sokka’s mouth is so...

Sokka stops talking and only then does Zuko realize he is on his feet. Sokka looks up at him expectantly, and Zuko’s mouth opens and shuts a few times before he closes it and shakes his head. 

“Zuko?” Sokka asks, confused.

"Sorry, I can't...I'm sorry," he says, turning away.

Sokka is saying something but Zuko keeps walking, his hands clenched into fists at his side. He is suddenly not a fan of Lovers’ Day, he does not want to be the guinea-spider for a holiday that he will have to observe from the sidelines, he does not want the taste that Sokka is offering of something he desperately wants but can’t have. He's fine, he has spent three years convincing himself he is fine with just being friends. He can’t risk ruining that, especially now that they work together so closely. He can keep his feelings at bay, but not if Sokka is going to do things like this.

Zuko knows he doesn’t mean it in a cruel way, Sokka can’t possibly know just how deeply his words are affecting him. And maybe Zuko is acting strange walking away like this, but his heart is racing and his throat is tight and he can’t find it in him to lie to Sokka right now or begin to attempt to explain himself. 

He’s jerked out of his thoughts by Sokka’s grip on his elbow. He pulls it out of reach and turns on his heel to face him. 

“Zuko, what is...was it something I said?”

“No, it’s not your fault, it’s me, I just need to…” he trails off and sighs. “Never mind. Don’t worry about it.” 

“I’m going to worry about it, Zuko, just talk to me!”

Zuko clenches his jaw, then forces himself to relax. “Lovers’ Day is a great idea, Sokka. Really. And I hope you can spend it with someone you love.”

He takes another step away from Sokka, but not before he hears Sokka say, “That’s what I wanted, too. Why do you think I said all those things?”

Zuko sighs and faces him again. “You can’t just... _say things_ like that. I can't...I can’t hear you tell me why you love me and not mean it in the way I want you to.” 

“Will you stop and just listen to me?" Sokka groans. "Spirits, I meant every word, Zuko. I am in love with you. I’ve been trying to tell you for ages."

His chest is heaving and the way he’s looking at Zuko is so raw and open and _honest_ and Zuko can’t look away. He couldn't if he wanted to, and he doesn't bother trying.

“You...love me,” Zuko says blankly. 

“Yeah. Of course I do,” Sokka says, like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

There it is. Everything Zuko thought he couldn’t have, everything he has always hoped for, hanging in the air between them. All he needs to do is reach out and— 

“I love _you_ ,” he says softly. 

“I understand, you don’t owe me any...wait, what did you just say?” Sokka’s eyes widen and Zuko takes a step forward. 

“I love you,” he laughs, the words spilling past his lips, desperate for release after so many long months of holding them back. “I’ve loved you for so long, I forgot it wasn’t the default. I don't remember what it was like to not be in love with you, and I don't want to. I feel like being in love with you is all I've ever known, and all I ever will.”

It’s Sokka’s turn to look as dumbfounded as Zuko had felt just moments ago, but then his expression clears, a smile breaking through like the sun parting the clouds after a long storm. He takes a step forward. “Did you practice that in the mirror?”

“Only a hundred times. How did I do?”

“Well, it's a little cheesy.”

“You like cheesy.”

“Exactly.”

Zuko clears his throat. “So, uh, do you maybe want to—“

“Yes,” Sokka breathes, and that’s all Zuko needs to hear before he’s closing the distance with one final step and meeting Sokka’s lips in a kiss. His hands come up to cup Sokka’s jaw and he feels like he may be floating until Sokka grounds him with both of his hands on Zuko’s hips. 

“I love you,” Zuko repeats, pulling away just enough to look in Sokka’s eyes and say it.

"Tell me again," Sokka says.

“I love you,” he says as Sokka pulls him back in, the words muffled between their lips.

“I love how intelligent you are, I love how you leave your own creative mark on everything you touch, I love the way you blink in the early morning sunlight when you have to wake up earlier than usual, I love how you drop anything and everything to help someone out when given the chance,” Zuko rambles, punctuating each reason with another kiss. Sokka’s face is lit up with a smile, his cheeks flushed, and Zuko never wants to stop being the person to make him smile like that. He could go on forever, never tiring or running out of reasons of why he loves Sokka.

When the two of them have stopped giggling and Zuko is finally willing to take a (small) break from kissing every inch of Sokka’s face, Sokka drags him by the hand back to the picnic. Zuko is able to eat this time, only rolling his eyes a little bit when Sokka rests his head in his lap and opens his mouth to ask for a berry. They watch the last of the sunset together, the candles providing them with a soft glow once the sky is finally dark. They move the food away so it’s just the two of them lying on the blanket, Sokka flat on his back, Zuko propped up on his elbow with his hand resting on Sokka's chest, smiling down at him as Sokka plays with his hair. 

“All in all, I’d say that the trial run of Lovers’ Day was a success,” Sokka says softly. "And the name's kinda growing on me, too."

“Ah, so you’re serious about that? Here I was wondering if that was all a cover to try and woo me.”

“I’ll admit, that was part of it. You know how many flowers I’ve given you over the last few months, how many picnics we’ve had out here, how many sunsets I made you watch and you still seemed oblivious to my intentions? I thought maybe doing it all at once was what it would take to get the message across but then the more I thought about it, the more I realized Lovers' Day is actually not a bad idea."

Zuko hums. “I definitely think this moment deserves its own national holiday. But seriously, it is nice, we can bring it up to the council.”

Sokka laughs, tilting his chin up in a way that Zuko realizes means he wants a kiss. A thrill runs through him at the thought. He wants to get to know everything about this side of Sokka. 

He complies and leans down, pressing a soft kiss against his lips before pulling apart just barely to give a fraction of space between them. 

“I love you. And I’d still love you even if you lost your eyebrows again,” he adds in a whisper, his breath ghosting Sokka’s lips. 

Sokka immediately pushes him so he lands on his back, laughing as Sokka stands up. 

“You just _had_ to ruin the moment.”

Zuko watches him turn away, laughing even more. “I’m sorry! Let me make it up to you!”

Sokka shakes his head as he walks away. “Nope! No kisses for an hour! You’ve lost your privileges!”

Zuko scrambles to his feet, extinguishing the candles and following after Sokka, who is already running, his laughter being carried away in the wind. Zuko runs after him, fairly confident he’ll be able to change Sokka’s mind. 

**Author's Note:**

> [tumblr](https://bisexuallsokka.tumblr.com/)!


End file.
